Wine Part 2 - A Tour of France's Principal Wine Regions

Page Contents

The Bordeaux region is located in the southwestern part of France. It is
known for its great châteaux (singular form: château), or estates,
and legendary producers who have been making fine wines for centuries. Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Margaux and Château Latour might be familiar names. Although cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and cabernet
franc are the three grape varietals that are typically blended in Bordeaux,
quite different proportions of these grapes are used in the various sub-regions
of the area to create wines that are far from uniform in style and taste.
For example, in the Pomerol region, wines tend to be made predominantly
from merlot grapes, while the blend in the Médoc wines is dominated
by cabernet sauvignon. Although best known for its red wines, there is plenty
of white wine produced in Bordeaux, mostly in the Graves and Sauternes areas.

Bordeaux Labels

There are three quality levels of Bordeaux wines. As you progress from
Regional to Proprietary to Château wines, there tend to be greater geographic
restrictions as to the origin of the grapes as well as an increase in price.
Regional wines just have the name of the sub-region appellation on their labels
(e.g. Pomerol or Médoc). Proprietary wines are given an extra
name in addition to their geographical appellation (e.g. Mouton-Cadet).
Château wines are distinguished by the names of châteaux on their labels.

On the labels of many Château wines from the Médoc, there is an indication
of the wine's "classification" (they were classified in 1855). The top classification
is Grand Cru Classé, followed by Grand Cru Exceptionnel and Cru Bourgeois. The Grand Cru Classé wines were further broken
down into five crus or "growths". There were only five châteaux designated Premier Cru or "First Growth". These are now, naturally, some of the
most famous ones (e.g. Château Latour, Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château
Haut-Brion, etc.). A century later, the wines of St. Emilion were
also classified. When you see the term Grand Cru Classé on a Bordeaux
label, this indicates a wine of the highest quality. Actually, wines from
the other two classifications are no slouches either!

It's interesting to note that, although the original classification occurred
150 years ago, some things have changed since then. In general, the "great"
wines of 150 years ago are still "great". Nevertheless, this is not a definite
guarantee of the best quality wine. Rather it indicates that the wine has
the potential to be of the best quality! You can be the judge!

Below is a list of the appellations of Bordeaux along with some of the
names of the more well-known châteaux.

FRENCH

SAY IT LIKE THIS

château (wine estate)

shah-toh

Pomerol

pohm-rohl

Pauillac

poh-yahk

Médoc

may-dohk

Haut-médoc

oh may-dohk

Graves

grahv

St. Estèphe

sa-teh-stehf

St. Emilion

sa-tay-meel-yoh

St. Julien

sa zhew-lee-A*

Château Margaux

shah-toh mahr-goh

Château Pétrus

shah-toh pay-trews

Château Mouton-Rothschild

shah-toh moo-toh roht-sheeld

Château Latour

shah-toh lah-toor

Château Haut-Brion

shah-toh oh-bree-oh

Château Lafite-Rothschild

shah-toh lah-feet roht-sheeld

grand cru classé

grah crew klah-say

grand cru exceptionnel

grah crew ex-sehp-see-oh-nehl

cru bourgeois

crew boor-zhwah

* Capitalized for syllabic emphasis.

Bordeaux Labels - Example

Sauternes

Sauternes are probably the most well-known French sweet dessert wines.
They come from a specific part of the Bordeaux region and adhere to a slightly
different classification system then their red cousins. Sauternes are made
from sauvignon blanc and sémillon grapes. Their production is quite labor-intensive,
thus the high prices that particularly the best ones command. In order to
develop their sweetness, grapes are left on the vine longer and develop a
kind of mold referred to as "noble rot". By the way, don't be fooled into
thinking that these wines are exclusively dessert wines. Some classic non-dessert
combinations with sauternes are Roquefort cheese or foie gras. Included in
the next chart are some names of famous sauternes.

Burgundy and Bordeaux are frequently compared and contrasted as the two
most important wine regions in France. In fact, they are quite different.
For one thing, the sheer amount of land used for wine production in Burgundy
is a fraction of that in Bordeaux. Less land means less wine produced, thus
the relatively high prices that we pay for good Burgundy (the high prices
of good Bordeaux are attributable to various other factors). Another major
difference is that in Burgundy there is much more of a uniformity of grape
varietal. As mentioned before, red Burgundy is made entirely from pinot noir
and white Burgundy entirely from chardonnay grapes.

Wine aficionados sometimes characterize themselves as either "Bordeaux"
or "Burgundy people". This distinction is usually made with reference to red
wines. While there are plenty of people who truly enjoy both, it's interesting
to note the phenomenon of those who are primarily drawn to one or the other.
Much has been written regarding the differences in the inherent qualities
of Burgundy and Bordeaux. Often Burgundies are described as softer, lacier,
or more feminine. What do you think? (Hint: you might be confused when you
taste a Gevrey-Chambertin!)

As with Bordeaux, there are a number of Burgundies that have important
pedigrees and sell for quite a lot of money. Do the names Clos Vougeot, Corton-Charlemagne,
or Montrachet ring any bells? The heart of the region is called the Côte d'Or
and is divided into the Côtes de Beaune and the Côtes de Nuits.

The sub-regions of Burgundy that are outside of the Côte d'Or are more
spread out than in Bordeaux and include Beaujolais, Mâcon and Chablis. Just
about all the wine made in Beaujolais is red, while Mâcon produces predominantly
whites along with a few reds. All of the wines from Chablis are made from
chardonnay. If you want a white Burgundy but are on a budget, think about
choosing a Mâcon or a Chablis. They tend to be considerably less expensive
than whites from the Côte d'Or and frequently just as pleasing. Beaujolais
is the only sub-region in Burgundy in which red wine is made from a grape
other than pinot noir, in this case gamay. You might notice each autumn when
the Beaujolais nouveau, or "new" Beaujolais, is released. This wine is inexpensive
and made to be drunk young.

FRENCH

SAY IT LIKE THIS

Côte d'Or

koht dohr

Côte de Nuit

koht duh nwee

Côte de Beaune

koht duh bohn

Chablis

shah-blee

Beaujolais (nouveau)

boh-joh-leh (noo-voh)

Mâcon

mah-koh

gamay

gah-meh

Burgundy Labels

As in Bordeaux, there are different quality levels of Burgundy frequently
reflected on their labels -- generic Burgundies, village wines, premier crus
and grand crus, the latter being the most valuable. (Note that in Burgundy,
although the terms grand cru and premier cru are used to indicate quality,
the system for assigning these names is different from that in Bordeaux –
see next paragraph.) Again, like Bordeaux, the appellation, or place name,
figures prominently on Burgundy labels. Also, the name of the producer is
important. Some producers whose wines are easily found in the US are Louis
Jadot and Joseph Drouhin.

Generic wines might simply have the appellation Bourgogne (Burgundy) on
their labels. The grapes used to make these wines could come from anywhere
in the region. Village wines retain the name of the village from which they
come (e.g. Pommard) and the grapes can be from any vineyard in that area.
All of the grapes used to make grand cru and premier cru wines come from specific
vineyards whose names appear on their labels. These vineyards are not owned
by one sole proprietor. Rather a number of independent producers own portions
of the same vineyard, all making wine with the same name (e.g. Clos Vougeot).
Since some of these vineyards are the most legendary in the wine world, the
ability to produce wine from grapes grown there gives the producer quite a
bit of cachet. Actually, owning such valuable real estate is a prize unto
itself!

Burgundy Appellations

FRENCH

SAY IT LIKE THIS

Meursault

muhr-soh

Puligny-Montrachet*

pew-lee-nyee moh-rah-sheh

Chassagne**-Montrachet*

shah-sah-nyuh moh-rah-sheh

Pommard

poh-mahr

Volnay

vohl-neh

Gevrey-Chambertin

zhuh-vreh shahm-behr-ta

Chambolle-Musigny

shahm-bohl mew-zee-nyee

Nuits-Saint-Georges

nwee-sa-zhohrzh(uh)

Corton-Charlemagne**

kohr-toh shahr-luh-mah-nyuh

* Note that neither "t" in Montrachet is pronounced.

** What we're calling the third syllable of Chassagne and the fourth of
Charlemagne are not really a proper syllables and should be pronounced very
lightly.

Burgundy Producers

FRENCH

SAY IT LIKE THIS

Joseph Drouhin

zhoh-zehf droo-a

Louis Jadot

loo-ee zhah-doh

Domaine Jacques Prieur

doh-mehn zhahk pree-uhr

Georges DuBoeuf*

zhohrzh(uh) dew-buhf

*the most well-known producer of Beaujolais.

Here are some names of some of the most famous vineyards in Burgundy.

FRENCH

SAY IT LIKE THIS

Clos Vougeot

kloh voo-zhoh

La Tâche

lah tahsh

Romanée-Conti

roh-mah-nay koh-tee

Échézeaux

ay-shay-zoh

Bonnes Mares

bohn mahr

Burgundy Labels - Example

When considering French wines, don't ignore the Rhône Valley! Some of the
greatest wines produced in the country are from this region. These wines,
particularly the red ones, are characteristically full and robust. Unlike
Burgundy, Rhône reds are made from a blend of anywhere between 2 and 13 different
grape varietals. The most recognizable of these are syrah, grenache and mourvedre.
The Rhône region is divided into North and South with some of the more pricey,
famous Rhônes coming from the north -- wines like Hermitage and Côte Rôtie.
Farther south are Châteauneuf-du-Pape and the wines of the small towns on
the western slope of the Dentelle mountains – including Gigondas and Vacqueyras.

The white wines of this region also tend to be full-bodied and sometimes
feature mineral-like flavors. Notable among these are a white Hermitage, the
unique Condrieu, and the lovely, sweet Muscat de Beaumes de Venise that is
frequently drunk as an aperitif. There is also one appellation in the Southern
Rhône that is known for its rosé wines – Tavel.

FRENCH

SAY IT LIKE THIS

syrah

see-rah

grenache

gruh-nahsh

mourvedre

moor-vehdr(uh)

les Dentelles

leh dah-tehl

Rhône Labels

Rhône wine labels always include the appellation and the producer. Sometimes
there is more information -- perhaps the name of a special cuvée, or bottling.
The Chateauneuf-du-Pape wines almost always have an additional name like Les
Cailloux, Domaine du Vieux Télégraph or Clos du Mont-Olivet. In the case of
Condrieu, curiously, the name of the grape, viognier, usually appears on the
label. There are a number of "star" producers in this region among who are
M. Chapoutier, Paul Jaboulet, Chateau de Beaucastel, and Jean-Louis Chave.

Rhône Appellations

FRENCH

SAY IT LIKE THIS

Côtes du Rhône

koht dew rohn

Côte-Rôtie

koht roh-tee

Condrieu

koh-dree-uh

Hermitage

ehr-mee-tahzh

Crozes-Hermitage

krohz ehr-mee-tahzh

Châteauneuf-du-Pape

shah-toh-nuhf-dew-pahp

Gigondas

zhee-goh-dahs

Vacqueyras

vah-keh-rahs

Muscat de Beaumes de Venise

mew-skah duh bohm duh vuh-neez

Tavel

tah-vehl

Châteauneuf-du-Pape

FRENCH

SAY IT LIKE THIS

Domaine du Vieux Télégraph

doh-mehn dew vyuh tay-lay-grahf

Clos du Mont-Olivet

kloh dew moh-toh-lee-veh

Rhône Producers

FRENCH

SAY IT LIKE THIS

M. Chapoutier

ehm shah-poo-tyay

Paul Jaboulet

pohl zhah-boo-leh

Château de Beaucastel

shah-toh duh boh-kah-stehl

Jean-Louis Chave

zhah-loo-ee shahv

Rhône Labels - Example

Alsace is a lovely region to explore, full of beautiful towns, unique cuisine
and interesting history. In addition, it's known for its (extremely reasonably
priced!) delicious white wines. Alsace shares much with its neighbor across
the Rhine, Germany. Riesling is the prime varietal grown in Alsace as well
as the part of Germany that borders France. The two regions also use the same
thin, long necked bottles for their wines. Alsace's history reflects the cultural
influences of both France and Germany, having been part of both countries
at various times. For all of the common elements shared by these two areas,
however, the style of vinification, or wine making, in Alsace differs from
that of Germany. In tasting both Alsatian and German rieslings, for example,
you will note that the German wines all exhibit various degrees of sweetness
while the French ones are comparatively dry. Other varietals grown in Alsace
include pinot blanc, pinot gris and the distinctive spicy, floral tasting
gewürtztraminer. Not surprisingly, these wines are perfect matches for Alsatian
cuisine -- dishes like choucroute garni (braised sourkraut with meats) and
matelote du Rhin (a fish stew).

Notes on the pronunciation of Alsatian names: The names of towns in Alsace
reflect the area's French/German heritage. Many of them are outright German
names. Thus, in many cases, the rules of French pronunciation don't quite
apply. That said, some French people pronounce them as if they were French
words. The transliterations below, while they don't strictly adhere to our
system and include a few sounds not accounted for in the Guide to Transliterations,
should be relatively straightforward. Note that the "ch" sound in "Trimbach"
is pronounced as in the German exclamation, "Ach!" The transliterations on
the following chart should be used as a point of departure. When in doubt,
we'd advise you to ask Alsatians themselves how they pronounce the names of
their villages. They'll certainly be glad to tell you!

Alsatian Towns and Dishes

FRENCH

SAY IT LIKE THIS

Alsace

ahl-sahs

Colmar

kohl-mahr

Strasbourg

strahs-boorg

Ribeauvillé

ree-boh-vee-lay

Kaysersberg

kai*-zehrs-behrg

Riquewihr

reek-veer

Sélestat

say-leh-staht

Turckheim

tewrk-haim*

Eguisheim

ay-gees**-haim*

Hunawihr

ew-nah-veer

choucroute garni

shoo-kroot gahr-nee

matelote du Rhin

maht-loht dew ra***

* The "ai" sound rhymes with "eye"

** Hard "g" as in "guess"

*** Last syllable rhymes with "cat"

Alsatian Wine Labels

Alsace is the only region in France where the name of the grape, the varietal
name, appears on the label. In most cases, what's in the bottle is the juice
from only that kind of grape, as opposed to a blend. The appellation name,
throughout Alsace, is just that: Alsace.

Alsatian Grape Varietals

FRENCH

SAY IT LIKE THIS

pinot blanc

pee-noh blah

(tokay) pinot gris

(toh-keh) pee-noh gree

riesling

rees-ling*

gewürtztraminer

guh-vewrts-trah-mee-nuhr*

* German pronunciations – the second syllable of riesling rhymes with "sing".

Alsatian Producers

FRENCH

SAY IT LIKE THIS

Hugel

ew-zhehl (or ew-gehl?)**

Trimbach

trim-bach***

Zind-Humbrecht

zint-hoom-brecht***

Dopff Au Moulin

dohpf oh moo-la

* See note above on pronunciation of Alsatian names

** The first alternative would be the more French pronunciation, the second
more German.

*** Vowel sound in first syllable rhymes with "him"

Alsace Labels - Example

The Loire Valley is one of the most highly touristed parts of France. With
its famous châteaux, lovely scenery and excellent restaurants and vineyards,
it's a natural destination. Like Alsace, the Loire is mostly known for its
white wines, although there are some excellent reds from the region as well.
Also, like Alsatian wines, you get a lot of "bang for your buck" per bottle
in the Loire. When you're looking at a wine list in a restaurant, it's always
good to consider these wines. They are generally less expensive and just as
pleasing as many of their pricier cousins from Bordeaux and Burgundy.

Since the wines from different Loire Valley appellations vary so much from
one end of the valley to the other, in order to have an idea what the wine
will taste like, the most important information is... the appellation! Sancerre
tends to be a light, dry, somewhat acidic wine that goes well with lighter
fish dishes. Likewise with muscadet, although it's usually softer and little
more fruity. Vouvray is made in three different styles increasing in sweetness.
It's only possible to make the sweetest ones from "exceptional" vintages.
Therefore, you must have an idea about the vintage in order to know how sweet
the bottle will be. (You might also be able to tell from the price -- the
sweetest ones tend to be the most expensive.) Vouvray is also made into a
sparkling wine. Chinon and Bourgeuil are red wines made from cabernet franc,
a grape that's frequently used in small amounts in Bordeaux blends.

Loire Valley Labels

In the Loire Valley, as in most French wine regions, smaller appellations
are named after towns closeby (with the exception of muscadet, which is named
after the grape – go figure!). Like Bordeaux and Burgundy, the grape varietal
names (chenin blanc, sauvignon blanc, cabernet franc) are not included on
the label. Sometimes the only information on the label besides the producer
will simply be the name of the appellation. Other times it will carry an additional
name, as in Domaine de Saint-Romble or, one of our favorites, Les Monts Damnés
("The Accursed Mountains"!).

Loire Appellations and Two Representative Wines

FRENCH

SAY IT LIKE THIS

Pouilly-fumé*

poo-ee** few-may

Vouvray

voo-vreh

Bourgeuil

boor-guhee***

Chinon

shee-noh

Sancerre

sah-sehr

Muscadet

mews-kah-deh

Savennières

sah-vuh-nyehr

Bonnezeaux

bohn-zoh

Quarts de Chaume

kahr duh shohm

Anjou

ah-zhoo

Montlouis

moh-loo-ee

Domaine de Saint-Romble

doh-mehn duh sa-rohbl(uh)

Les Monts Damnés

leh moh dahm-nay

* Not to be confused with pouilly-fuissé (poo-ee fwee-say), which comes
from the Mâcon area of Burgundy and is made from chardonnay grapes.

** You might hear "'pwee" pronounced.

*** The second syllable is a diphthong. It consists of two vowel sounds,
"uh" and "ee" that are elided with a slight emphasis on the "uh".

Loire Valley Labels - Example

Champagne, as we all know, is the name of the most famous French sparkling
wine. It is also the name of the region that produces that wine. Only wine
produced in this region may be called Champagne. Sparkling wines that come
from anywhere else in the world must be called something different. If you
look at bottles of sparkling wine from the Loire Valley or Italy or California,
you'll notice that they don't say "Champagne" on their labels. Rather, they
might just say "sparkling wine" or "méthode champenoise", meaning that they
are made employing the same method used in champagne production. Just 90 miles
northeast of Paris, the two largest towns in the Champagne region are Reims
and Épernay. The vineyards, however, are in the surrounding hills.

Champagne is made in a number of different styles as well as levels of
sweetness (sugar is added to some). Pink, or rosé, champagnes tend to be made
from pinot noir grapes, leaving the skins in for a while during the production
process. Blanc de blancs is made entirely from chardonnay and blanc de noirs
entirely from red grapes -- pinot noir and/or pinot meunier (however with
the skin left out of the mixture so that the result has no trace of pink color).
As far as sweetness, from driest to sweetest, they are Extra Brut, Brut, Extra
Dry (Extra Sec), Sec, Demi-Sec and Doux, the last two being what we would
consider "sweet". The most popular style seems to be the driest -- Brut.

Champagne Labels

Whereas in Burgundy or the Rhône Valley or Alsace, where the appellation
or varietal name is as significant as the name of the producer, in Champagne,
wines are mainly referred to by their producers' names. Among these are Dom
Pérignon, Krug, Taittinger, Bollinger, Moët et Chandon and Veuve Clciquot.
Much champagne is "non-vintage", that is to say that the final product comes
from grapes picked in multiple years. If there is no year listed on the bottle,
it is non-vintage. If there is a year listed, then what's inside is entirely
the product of one outstanding vintage. What constitutes an outstanding vintage
is left to the discretion of the producer.

FRENCH

SAY IT LIKE THIS

champagne

shahm-pah-nyuh

Reims

rass

Épernay

ay-pehr-neh

pinot meunier

pee-noh muh-nyay

blanc de blancs

blah duh blah

blanc de noirs

blah duh nwahr

extra dry

pronounced as in English

brut

brewt

demi-sec

duh-mee sehk

sec

sehk

doux

doo

Champagne Producers

FRENCH

SAY IT LIKE THIS

Dom Pérignon

doh pay-ree-nyoh

Krug

krook* (or krewg?)

Bollinger

boh-la**-zhay

Taittinger

teh-ta**-zhay

Moët et Chandon

moh-eht ay shah-doh

Veuve Clicquot

vuhv klee-koh

Pol Roger

pohl roh-zhay

Piper-Heidsieck

pee-pehr haid-seek***

Laurent Perrier

loh-rah peh-ree-ay

* First alternative is German pronunciation (it's a German name), second
is more French.

** Reminder: these syllables rhyme with "cat".

*** German name, French pronunciation rules don't quite apply. The second
word basically sounds like "hide seek" although in France you might very well
hear it pronounced "ayd-seek"!

Champagne Labels - Example

Well, we've come to the end of our wine tour of France. We hope that this
introduction to French wine has been helpful. For more in-depth study, we
refer you to the many detailed books published on the subject by authors such
as Jancis Robinson, Alexis Lechine, Hugh Johnson and Robert Parker.

David Ronis is a classical singer, actor and translator
living in New York City. www.davidronis.com